The impossible missions are the only ones that succeed.Jacques Cousteau

National Geographic takes on a new publishing venture with Explorer Academy, a fiction series combining action-adventure with science, technology and world exploration. Twelve-year-old Cruz Coronado is a member of Explorer Academy, an international team of young people training to become the world's future scientists.

The Falcon’s Feather, second in the seven-book series, finds Cruz aboard the academy's flagship and headed to northern aquatic seas. He will be trained to swim in frigid waters and pilot a deep-sea exploratory vessel.

The ship is equipped with fascinating technological gadgets: a helmet with an embedded computerized translator which allows the wearer to communicate with marine animals, clothing with bio-luminescent properties and the ability to change appearance to blend with surroundings, a drone that appears as a tiny insect but can transmit messages.

Cruz faces grave personal danger. His cabin is ransacked the first day on board. He becomes wary. Whom can he trust? Twice during the voyage someone attempts to kill him. His computerized underwater helmet is sabotaged. Later, a deliberately set explosion traps Cruz and three of his companions in an ice cave.

They killed your mother. They will not hesitate to kill you, too.

Nebula Pharmaceuticals is behind these attacks. Cruz’s mother, a former Nebula employee, developed a serum which could regenerate human cells. Nebula ordered her to destroy her discovery and its formula. Prior to her death in a mysterious lab fire, she recorded a message to Cruz on her digital holo-video journal and engraved the serum's formula onto a black marble stone. She then split the stone into eight fragments and deposited them around the world. Her son has her journal which contains clues to the location of the coded marble fragments.

Trueit has created stories with action, intrigue, and suspense galore. At one point in my reading I replied to a request from an individual near me, saying “I can’t come right now. Cruz is trapped underwater and can’t breathe.”

Those who love scientific and geographical trivia will be fascinated with all the factoids scattered throughout the narrative. Interesting The Falcon's Feather bits include Norse mythology, whale rescue, receding glaciers, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. All volumes are chock-full of fascinating futuristic tech gadgets. There is a Jules Verne quality to the series, envisioning scientific achievements that may become a future reality.

Discover the world and examine the possibilities of science and technology with these pulse-racing high-octane escapades. Young readers will anxiously await the next volume. Fortunately, National Geographic plans to release a new title every six months.

Extra. Extra.

National Geographic has created a wealth of extras to enhance the series.The treasure trove of online resources includes codes and ciphers to solve, profiles of scientists working on cutting edge advances. There’s an animation video of C.A.V.E. (Computer Animated Virtual Experience), a slide show of "Weird But True" facts, and personality quiz to determine what type of scientist you are.

The Truth Behind

​Meet the real National Geographic Explorers who helped inspire the science in the book series. Watch them in action and find out how they’re changing the world through science and adventure in “Explorer Academy: The Truth Behind.”

Watch Zoltan trap a rattlesnake, extract some blood, and then set the venomous reptile free.

Head into caves and view what might be considered the emojis of ancient civilizations.

​​Full disclosure: Initially I skimmed this book's back cover and concluded that it was a remake of The Parent Trap. To be honest, I wasn't crazy about the movie. So, no. I wasn't interested. But... this middle grade novel was by Holly Goldberg Sloan and Meg Wolitzer. I reasoned that two extremely talented authors would write something more than a warmed-over Disney movie script. Once I started reading I was hooked. ​​Reasons why I loved this book:Point one: The girls are interesting individuals, not plot contrivances. While they have a west coast vs. east coast point of view, they have enough unique traits to transcend the California and New York City stereotypes.

Point two: The dads. These men are neither good guys nor bad guys. They are guys. They are dads. They make some good decisions, arrive at some conclusions based inaccurate assumptions. They make mistakes. They love their families.

Point three: Supporting characters, especially Bett's grandma and Avery's birth mother are not phantom shadows or cardboard standees. Even campers are not one-dimensional. ​The snobby camper reveals a surprising side near the end of the book.

Point four: There are no simpering, sniveling, demanding rivals trying to destroy each girl's relationship with her father. The adults are adults. Readers will be cheering for a resolution that will help all characters build fulfilling, happy lives.

Point five: There are plenty of interesting plot twists to keep readers engaged. Some are telegraphed early on, others are hinted at as the story progresses. A few caught me by surprise. This is not a Disney remake. Prepare to be delighted and surprised in a good way.

What inspired you to create this story of two girls being raised by single gay dads?

Did you have the plot in mind from the outset or did the story evolve as you wrote?

Was one of you the voice of Bett and one the voice of Avery?

How did Gaga evolve? What inspired the creation of this character?

What about camp? Were those two very different camps based on personal experience?

What brought the two of you together to write this book?

What are the advantages of writing a middle grade novel together?

What are the challenges of writing a middle grade novel together?

Music of Love

'Bonus: The 1998 version of The Parent Trap opens with Nat King Cole's “L.O.V.E.” ends with Natalie Cole's “This Will Be An Everlasting Love.” Both songs make a terrific soundtrack for To Night Owl From Dogfish.

​Echoing the rhythmic quality of dance, Meadows uses rhyming couplets to tell the story of Janet Collins. The cumulative syntax traces her story from early beginnings to prima ballerina with the Metropolitan Opera House.

Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1917 and raised in Los Angeles, California, Janet displayed not only talent, but a love for dance. ​

In a time when dance opportunities were limited for a youngster of color, Collins found ways to realize her dream. Whether it was finding teachers or studying and performing other forms of dance including Spanish, Caribbean, and African, she continued to pursue her passion.

Collins' determination to be true to herself and her heritage is remarkable. She was invited to join Ballet Russe with the stipulation that she lighten her skin. She refused. She would find ways to dance, but on her terms.

Glenn captures the joyous enthusiasm of a young girl and the willowy body of a gifted dancer. She uses a realistic approach, positioning bodies in classic ballet style with arms gracefully rounded, fingertips with thumb and middle finger slightly curved inward. The arms are always extended, reaching out and up. The bearing is regal. Glenn's color palette allows Janet’s skin to be the focal point. The gorgeous sienna skin makes each pose more elegant and visually arresting.

This picture book is enriched with an author's note which provides additional information on the life of Janet Collins. Two small photographs of Collins as a professional performer provide a real life look at this beautiful, poised woman. A list of print and online resources is also included.

Together Meadows and Glenn have choreographed a sparkling tribute to dedication, persistence and above all, the wonder of dance. Youngsters will be enchanted and inspired by Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins.

Young Ballerinas

Meet Misty Copeland, Siena Cherson, and Maria Tallchief. Each dreamed of becoming a professional ballet dancer. Each practiced endless hours, pushing her body to execute difficult moves with precision and grace. Along with Janet Collins, they are role models for aspiring dancers.

Anya’s Secret Society by Yevgenia Nayberg

Anya was born with a dominant left hand. She was also born into a Russian culture that considered the right hand as the "legitimate" hand. Even the word "right" meant not only a direction, but also "correct."

When this resourceful and determined little girl recognized that local norms frowned upon use of the left hand, she taught herself to use her right hand for most activities. Anya was able to master even difficult tasks with this hand.

However, there was one activity in which it was impossible to use her right hand: drawing. Her brain could only process and create images with her dominant hand, her left hand.

Anya created a special stratagem to live within the confines of Russian expectations and still express herself: a secret society. She learned that great artists such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelango, and Rembrandt were left-handed. When she was alone, she would put on a mask and pretend to be in the company of famous left-handed artists. The secret society was the place where she felt that she could safely create.

Then life took a surprising turn. Her parents chose to leave Russia and immigrate to America. In addition to all the differences she encountered in this new country, Anya was astonished to learn that left-hand dominance was not considered wrong. Schools were equipped with scissors and desks to accommodate children with either dominant hand. Her teacher did not seem to notice or care which hand Anya chose to use.

Based on her personal experience growing up in the Soviet Union, Yevgenia Nayberg has created a poignant story. With determination, imaginative thinking, and a bit of subterfuge, Anya finds a way to continue to draw. Readers get a glimpse into the private life as well as the real world struggles an artist faces.

I will always have a place in my heart for the secret society of my childhood.

Art: A Visual Treat

Nayberg's art is stunning. Her work is replete with arresting design and unconventional juxtaposition of objects. The use of light is extraordinary. Textures add nuance and dimension. She uses vibrant colors to emphasize Anya's fertile imagination. Drop by Drop: A Story of Rabbi Akiva and The Wren and the Sparrow receivedSydney Taylor Honor Awards. View her online portfolio that includes illustration, theater posters, sketchbooks and more.

Anya’s Secret Societyis more than a gorgeously illustrated story, it’s an affirmation for all children who feel different, who don’t fit into the prevailing cultural definitions of correct.​While the story is specific to left-handedness, the message that basic traits in individual children are neither “right” nor “wrong” is powerful.

“ If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person"​Mister Rogers

Because is a word laden with possibility. Mo Willems explores a chain of cause and effect in his latest picture book Because.

Willems begins with Beethoven and traces the events that lead from his composition to a performance by an orchestra. He includes moments on this continuum that are deliberately planned: musicians who learn to play an instrument and practice until they become proficient. Then there are unexpected occurrences: due to illness there is an extra ticket available.

The result of this string of events is that the life of one girl is changed. She becomes a composer and conducts an orchestral performance of her composition.

And that night, someone heard her music and was changed.

Ren's illustrations are filled with many charming touches. The portrait of Beethoven hanging on the wall shows him glancing into the future at young Franz Schubert. A violinist practices in his home and on the side table is a photo of himself as a young boy with his first violin. A continuous golden musical ribbon weaves throughout the book, tying all the elements together. End papers featuring the score of Schubert's Symphony no. 8 in B-minor and Hilary Purrington's contemporary composition The Cold appropriately bookend the story.

This is how it happened:

I sitting with a teen and together we read this book. We considered how because happens in her life. Because she wanted to play a music instrument that was different from the instruments other members of her family play, she decided to try strings. Because she liked the sound and the shape, she decided to try the cello.Because she played the cello with the orchestra in her school, she met another student studying the cello. Because they performed together, the two became best friends.

Take a look at the cover. Yes. That's right, a giant hand has emerged from beneath the ground, grabbed the Washington Monument, ripped it from its foundation, and now holds all 555 feet menacingly above the nation's capital.Terror reigns. Fear runs rampant.

Fort, aka Forsythe Fitzgerald watched in horror as the monstrous hand snatched his father and then disappeared underground. Alone, angry, and searching for answers, Fort agrees to enroll in a special government -sponsored boarding school run by Dr. Oppenheimer. This is no ordinary school.

Students are invited to enroll because they have the potential to read books containing secret formulas visible only to kids born on or before date that these magical books were discovered. Fort will study The Magic of Recuperation and Restoring What Has Been. He will learn to:

Restore small cuts or shallow burns with a cooling touch.

Take away the emotion of terror from any living thing for a period of one hour.

Grant the power of movement to an inanimate object. Newly animated objects will operate under the spellcaster's control.

​Revive any deceased creature into an undead servant under the spellcaster's control.

Powerful stuff!

Fort learns that there are deeper and darker secrets hidden in the lower levels of the school. We're talking some seriously creepy secrets: monstrous beasts and a truly evil ancient force that can control them.

James Riley's new series, The Revenge of Magic is much darker than the Story Thieves. Much darker. When you're ready to delve into a high-stakes fantasy adventure with mind controlling, body-possessing sinister forces, follow Fort on his quest for books filled with ancient techniques needed to summon mysterious powers. Heads up: There are more books containing secret formulas. Will Fort find them? Will he learn what happened to his father? Why is the government so interested in all of this? Stay tuned for the continuing adventures of Forsythe Fitzgerald.

The list of award-winning books by illustrator Christian Robinson is extensive and impressive: Caldecott Award Honor, Coretta Scott King Award Honor (twice), Sibert Award Honor, and Boston Globe-Hornbook Nonfiction Award Honor. ​In an exciting new career move, Christian Robinson is publishing his first solo book. It turns out that the man who has command of design, space, and color also has a mind filled with very intriguing notions.

Let's get meta with Christian Robinson.

​What if there is another individual just like you, but.... your doppelgänger lives in a parallel world? And what if you could travel to that world? And what if you could bring a friend with you to meet your double?

​It begins with a cat. At night. On the bed of a sleeping child.

Another cat appears, takes the cat's mouse, and escapes. The cat with the red collar chases after the cat with the mouse. Then the child awakes in time to see the cat leaving and quickly joins in pursuit of the purloined mouse. In and out of holes and portholes. Over and under. Between and through. The cat and its owner search. Lo and behold. In another dimension they discover that the cat has an owner who could be the child's double. They reach out across space to return the missing mouse. Cat and owner return home with the mouse. All is as it should be. The child falls asleep. Except.... something is under the bed!

The concept of an alternate universe is mind-bending. However, Robinson breaks it down into easily understood images that allow for multiple interpretations.

Robinson’s eye-popping flat colors are the perfect medium for this journey into another dimension. And dots! They are everywhere. It’s like being in one of those kiddie play areas filled with small plastic balls.

Worth noting: Another’s world is filled with a diverse array of children and faces with a gorgeous range of skin tones. It's easy to spot wheelchairs, eyeglasses, a hijab, and even an arm cast. All children can be found are here.All worlds are for all children.

Firelight plays across Aphrodite's face. "Do you want to see what real love looks like?"

Berry spins a fantastic tale of love and life, war and death. The story centers on a setup involving three Greek gods: Aphrodite, Ares, and Hephaestus.A trap is sprung. Aphrodite and Ares are caught. There will be a trial, with Hephaestus serving as judge and jury.Aphrodite pleads her case by telling two love stories set during World War I. ​James, an aspiring architect and Hazel, a talented young pianist meet in England and fall in love before he leaves for the front. Colette, a Belgian girl with the voice of an angel and Aubrey, an African American composer and performer meet in France where both are entertaining troops stationed in Europe.

​Apollo and Hades offer corroborating "testimony" and contribute important details. Interestingly, Hades relates his narrative from the perspective of those who experience death, both in the moments preceding death as well as the life after death.

"I just hope that the war doesn't...change him, you know?""It's unavoidable that the war will change him."

Berry does not shy away from graphic descriptions of murder, racism, cruelty, and war-related injuries. Life for her characters is not simple nor is it always just.

Reading this novel and especially the book's final chapters will require either a large box of tissues or, if you want to stay true to the time period, a few dozen handkerchiefs.

Occasionally I encounter a book that I call a masterpiece. Lovely War is one such book. The writing is sublime, filled with tenderness and hauntingly exquisite imagery. There are battle scenes so real that I could taste the acrid smell of gunfire from deep in the trenches. A kiss delayed before finally being realized is as sweet as the ripest peach, waiting until the exact moment of perfection before it is plucked from the tree and savored in all its deliciousness. Juxtapositioning the agonizing story of a soldier's tragic death against a young toddler building and demolishing block towers is sheer brilliance. ​Berry relieves the tension with clever asides and sly humor.

This YA novel comes in at a substantial 500 pages, including a Historical Note, Selected Bibliography, and Acknowledgements. That's big enough to be a doorstop and may be a bit daunting for some teen readers. But don't let size deter you. Every chapter, every single word is pure gold.

Note: When I first picked up this historical novel and began to read, I was puzzled by the cover. After l finished reading, I understood its significance. You’ll get no spoilers from me. But after you read the book, let’s discuss!

Want More? Try These

Elizabeth Wein's World War II series is classic. Code Name Verity earned a Prinz Honor Award.

Martha Brockenbrough's story of love and death involving two gods and two mortals.

Characters James Reese Europe and Noble Sissle are real individuals. Listen to this recording of their Ragtime music from the World War I era. ​The period photographs and other images of music and African American musicians add context to the story.

During World War II, 8,500 British girls joined the little-known Women’s Timber Corps. They were armed with nothing but four-and-a-half pound axes, six-pound saws, and the willingness to pick them up. The average Lumber Jill was eighteen years old, and while these girls came from all walks of life, most of them had never lifted an axe before. Author's Note

Lumber Jills: The Unsung Heroines of World War IIis the story of women whose service to their country is less well-known. None-the-less, their story is intriguing.Davis frames her rhythmic text within a numerical construct. Beginning with "one pair of woolen socks pulled up to the knee," she chronicles the work of young British girls who volunteered to support the war effort by felling and cutting trees, then hauling the logs to the mill by wagon teams.

What begins as four brown boots, multiplies into sixteen train cars and then twenty-seven new girls signing up to serve. The number of girls rapidly increases throughout the pages. Two hundred cheerful girls learning the basics of logging, doubles to four hundred and eventually reaches two thousand Lumber Jills. ​

By the book's conclusion these girls have cut ten million trees, which are used to create telephone poles, roadblocks, pitprops, crates, fences and gates. An extraordinary accomplishment. While the mathematical details are interesting, it is the combined efforts of these young women, willing to leave home, learn new skills, and work together in support of their country that is most impressive.

The rhythmic quality of the text makes it an excellent choice for reading aloud. Numerical factoids scattered throughout the pages could serve as the basis for an interesting Infographic.

An Author's Note fleshes out the story, providing additional background material. It is worth noting that Davis mentions women throughout North American who were involved in the timber industry, before and during World War II.

"The moon reaches her zenith -Her glow silvering the world.Joy sings outWithin every good soul.""Flower Song for Maidens Coming of Age." From songs of Dzitbalché 7translated by David Bowles

Recently, several books about menstruation have been published for young readers. Most are collections of information presented in an engaging manner. The Moon Within takes a refreshing approach. Salazar weaves poetry, astronomy, and mythology together with Mexican and Caribbean culture in this intimate view of a young girl anticipating and experiencing her first menses.

The book is divided into sections mirroring the lunar cycle: New Moon, First Quarter Moon, Full Moon, and Last Quarter Moon. This journey from childhood to maidenhood is like the moon: at times dark, at other times shimmering with reflected light.

Twelve-year-old Celestina Rivera lives in East Oakland with her father of Puerto Rican heritage, mother of Mexican ancestry, and younger brother Juju.

Magda, a drummer in her bomba class is "better than my best friend," and "my best echo." The two are inseparable.

Celi's mother is thrilled that her daughter will soon have her first period. She excitedly shares this news with friends and family and begins planning a tradition ancestral celebration to honor her daughter's first menses. Celi is mortified and feels that her privacy has been invaded. A clash between generations, cultures, and expectations leaves both mother and daughter at odds. Celi's internal dissonance extends to relationships with her peers.

She examines her feelings when Magda reveals her gender fluidity, requesting that family and friends refer to her as Mar because "I feel more boy than girl at the moment and because I can be both." In addition, Celi develops a crush on skate boarder and capoeira dancer Ivan. Sadly, when Ivan and his friends mock Mar, Celi remains silent, refusing to speak in defense of her friend. ​​She finally realizes that she will have to take a stand. She must decide where her loyalties lie.

Salazar lyrically weaves several themes throughout this poetic first-person account. Reading becomes a sensory experience though explorations of rhythm "dancing bomba feels like warm Caribbean water swishing and swaying happiness inside of me," hearts "a locket in my heart ... holds all of the questions that do cartwheels in my mind,' and of course, the moon "I look into the dark and sway with Luna's moonbeams..."

Ultimately, Celi acknowledges that her Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage are an important part of her identity. She accepts and appreciates the biological changes taking place in her body. She celebrates the girl she is and the woman that she is becoming.

A full moon for many culturesis a time for magicfor healingfor rituals.

Join in the Dance

Meet the Author

Culture, Identity, and Menstruation

A timely reminder of the universal nature of menstruation and cultural differences: "Period. End of Sentence" won a 2019 Oscar Award for Best Short Documentary.

​The film explores the stigma attached to menstruation in a rural village in India where girls are prevented from staying in school, worshipping in temples, and having access to basic sanitary products.​Follow the remarkable story of village women who learn to use a sewing machine, creating biodegradable and affordable sanitary pads for women in the surrounding villages. Their sewing machine was contributed by The Pad Project, a program created by high school girls in a California.